Charles Daniel Richmond (December 15, 1931 – March 16, 1988) was an American jazz drummer who is best known for his work with Charles Mingus. He also worked with Joe Cocker, Elton John and Mark-Almond.

Biography

Richmond was born Charles Daniel Richmond on December 15, 1931, in New York City and grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing tenor saxophone at the age of thirteen, and went on to play R&B with the Paul Williams band in 1955. His career took off when he took up the drums, which he had taught himself to play in his early twenties, through the formation of what was to be a 21-year association with Charles Mingus. Mingus biographer Brian Priestley writes that "Dannie became Mingus's equivalent to Harry Carney in the Ellington band, an indispensable ingredient of 'the Mingus sound' and a close friend as well". That association continued after Mingus' death when Richmond became the first musical director of the group Mingus Dynasty in 1980. He died of a heart attack in Harlem on March 16, 1988, at the age of 56.

Discography

As leader

As sideman

With Charles Mingus

With George Adams and Don Pullen

With Pepper Adams

With others

With Ray Anderson With Chet Baker With Ted Curson With Booker Ervin With Ricky Ford With Bert Jansch With John Jenkins With Duke Jordan With Jimmy Knepper With Horace Parlan With Herbie Nichols With Sahib Shihab With Zoot Sims With Mal Waldron With Bennie Wallace